The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the governing body of cricket in Afghanistan, has announced the construction of the Kandahar cricket stadium in the southern province of the country, which will start this week.
This announcement follows an agreement between the ACB and a private company to speed up the stadium's construction, Khaama Press reported.
The construction was the next logical step after the Indian government granted $1 million in aid in mid-2014. The stadium's construction will be taken up under the Small Development Project Scheme of the Indian government.
India has committed itself to rebuilding Afghanistan and has been partnering or funding road, power, hospital, clinic and several other similar projects in the country that has been trying to crawl back to normalcy. India has committed projects worth $2 billion since 2002, aimed at rebuilding the country.
The recent inauguration of the Afghanistan Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is still fresh in the minds of Afghans and Indians alike.
Though more details on the stadium are awaited, Nasimullah Danish, Chief Executive of the ACB, was quoted as saying the stadium would have facilities for cricketers from the region.
An Indian embassy letter noted football and cricket have united the country. It also noted the enthusiasm in Afghanistan's youth regarding these sports.
Afghanistan has six major cricket stadiums, of which two are under construction. The Kabul cricket stadium was build with help from USAID.
